Joe C. Meriweather facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | October 26, 1953 Phenix City, Alabama |
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
| Died | October 13, 2013 (aged 59) Columbus, Georgia |
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| High school | Central (Phenix City, Alabama) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Southern Illinois (1972–1975) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1975 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1975–1988 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1975–1976 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
| 1976–1977 | Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||||
| 1977–1979 | New Orleans Jazz | |||||||||||||
| 1979–1980 | New York Knicks | |||||||||||||
| 1980–1985 | Kansas City Kings | |||||||||||||
| 1985–1986 | Granarolo Bologna | |||||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | Joventut Badalona | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 5,439 (8.1 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,764 (5.6 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 810 (1.2 bpg) | |||||||||||||
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Joe C. Meriweather (born October 26, 1953 – died October 13, 2013) was a talented American professional basketball player. He was known for his skills as a center and power forward.
Meriweather played for ten seasons in the NBA. He was part of teams like the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Jazz, New York Knicks, and Kansas City Kings. He was 6 feet 10 inches tall and played college basketball at Southern Illinois University.
Early Career and NBA Start
Joe Meriweather began his NBA journey in 1975. He was picked by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the draft. In his very first season, he showed great promise. He was even named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
During his rookie year, he scored an average of 10.2 points per game. He also grabbed 6.4 rebounds and made 1.5 blocks per game. Over his entire NBA career, he averaged 8.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks.
Setting Block Records
Joe Meriweather was especially good at blocking shots. Blocking a shot means stopping an opponent from scoring. He is one of only a few players in NBA history to block 10 or more shots in a single game more than once.
He achieved this amazing feat twice. The first time was in 1977 with the New Orleans Jazz. In that game, he also got a "triple-double." A triple-double means a player gets 10 or more in three different stats (like points, rebounds, and blocks). He did it again in 1979 while playing for the New York Knicks. His 10-block games set new records for both the Jazz and the Knicks at the time. The Jazz record was later broken, but Joe Meriweather still holds the Knicks' record, which was later tied by Dikembe Mutombo.
International Play and Coaching
Before playing in the NBA, Joe Meriweather also represented his country. He played for the United States national team in the 1974 FIBA World Championship. His team won the bronze medal in that competition.
After his NBA career, Meriweather played basketball in Italy for a season (1985–86) with Granarolo Bologna. He later became a coach. In 1994, he coached the Kansas City Mustangs in a professional women's basketball league, leading them to an undefeated season. From 1997 to 2010, he was the head women's basketball coach at Park University in Missouri.
Joe Meriweather passed away on October 13, 2013, in Columbus, Georgia.
See also
In Spanish: Joe Meriweather para niños
- List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game
